"Bach and Mozart"

Although 20% of babies who were exposed to classical music in utero become doctors or lawyers, 100% of babies born on stage during a classical-music performance become Bill Gates. Upgrade your evening with this GrouponLive deal to see the Grand Rapids Symphony at St. Cecilia Music Center's Royce Auditorium. For $8, you get one ticket to the "Bach and Mozart" concert on Thursday, September 27, at 7 p.m. (an $18 value). Doors open at 6 p.m. Best-available seating will be assigned at the time of purchase.

Conductor David Lockington calls upon his 25 years of experience leading orchestras throughout the US and abroad when commanding the Grand Rapids Symphony in an evening of celebrated works by two of the greatest composers in all of history. The one-hour concert swells with a flurry of jostled cellos during the allegro of Brandenburg Concerto no. 6. But the true star of this celebrated Bach piece is the viola, who finally takes the spotlight after years of fetching coffee for the other instruments. Royce Auditorium's exquisite acoustics bolster the joyful melody of Mozart’s Symphony no. 18, from the playfully descending violins of the first movement to the baroque waltz of the fourth. Augmenting the night with her Concerto for Viola and Orchestra is Amanda Harberg, whom famed classical-music composer John Corigliano praises for her ability to “touch the soul and invigorate the brain at the same time.”